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Field of degree: Philosophy and religion

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Philosophy and religion field of degree. Employment: 473,500. Median annual wage: $55,000.

Table 1. Philosophy and religion degree, 2019.

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Table 1. Philosophy and religion degree, 2019
Data	Philosophy and religion	All fields
Employment	473,500	56,820,460
Median wage	55,000	60,000
Percent employed part time	18	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	65	60
Percent with an advanced degree	57	37
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of philosophy and religion major, 2019.

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Chart 1. Types of philosophy and religion major, 2019
Philosophy and religion major	Major share
Philosophy And Religious Studies	100%
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a philosophy and religion degree, by occupational group, 2019.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a philosophy and religion degree, by occupational group, 2019
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Management occupations	15%
Educational instruction and library occupations	14
Community and social service occupations	13
Legal occupations	10
Business and financial operations occupations	7
Other	41
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a philosophy and religion degree.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a philosophy and religion degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2021–31	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2019	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2019
Software developers	26%	Bachelor's degree	2%	34%
Postsecondary teachers	12	Doctoral or professional degree	6	73
Lawyers	10	Doctoral or professional degree	9	92
Managers, all other	6	Bachelor's degree	3	20
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	5	Bachelor's degree	2	54
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	5	Master's degree	2	56
Clergy	4	Bachelor's degree	9	49
Elementary school teachers, except special education	4	Bachelor's degree	3	48
Physicians, all other	2	Doctoral or professional degree	2	100
Chief executives	-7	Bachelor's degree	2	30
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Philosophy and religion,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/philosophy-and-religion/philosophy-and-religion-field-of-degree.htm (visited August 28, 2023).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, September 8, 2022